


Pick Your Spice

by JustGrazingTheTop



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, F/M, Falling In Love, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Love, Love Triangles, Reader-Insert, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-28
Updated: 2020-06-20
Packaged: 2021-01-02 04:02:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,977
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21155291
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JustGrazingTheTop/pseuds/JustGrazingTheTop
Summary: At university, life gets a little complicated. Claude and Felix are put into a group project with a woman they've never met before. Suddenly, three strangers become friends. Things start to get complicated when feelings get involved.





	1. Welcome to Class

**Author's Note:**

> Feel free to change Linda's name to whoever you would like. I find it easier to write with a name.

Sunlight shined on Claude's face making the caramel glow of his skin intensify. He wore a black sweatshirt and dark blue skinny jeans. Sure it was a little warm, but he knew that it was a "look."

He sat on the lawn outside of his dorm room while his forest green eyes peered over the lens of his sunglasses, toward the walking path. 

"Hey, loser!" a loud, slightly shrill voice yelled. 

"Hilda, how many times do I have to tell you? Projection isn't cute," Claude cooed, patting the spot next to him. 

Her pink pigtails bounced up and down with her shoulders as she left out a loud, "Hmph." She set down her backpack and joined her friend on the ground, ruffling his short chestnut hair. "What are you doing out here? You missed Lorenz practically drooling over Professor Manuela in Music Theory." 

"I'd rather stay away from him, thanks. Anyways, I'm playing a game."

"What game?"

"I watch people who walk down the path," Claude gestured widely in front of him, "Then, I guess their name, major and life goal based solely on their appearance."

"That's swallow and dumb." 

"So, you're in?"

"...You go first."

Claude took a long look at the students walking, waiting to find someone who stuck out to him.

Too plain. Too obvious. Too easy. Claude's eyes lit up when a perfect pupil appeared. "You see that girl in the big sweater and Adidas shorts?"

Hilda turned in his direction, skeptically, "Yeah?"

"Her name is probably Savannah, she loves animals, so I'm guessing she's a Pre Vet major and her life goal is to… save the turtles," Claude said, reaching his hands up and then crossing them behind his head.

Hilda raised her eyebrow, "And what exactly gave you that impression?"

"Well, for starters, she has a keychain of a turtle hanging off her backpack," he pointed to the dangling charm, "And her sweater is from a Vet place nearby. Also, I think she looks like a Savannah."

Hilda wasn't convinced, "You're terrible at this."

"Then, you do it."

"Fine," Hilda began to search through the crowd while she stuck her tongue out in mock concentration.

"That guy, there, in the blue shirt, jeans and a ponytail."

"The one who looks like Sasuke from Naruto?"

Her head swiveled back, "Who?"

Claude sighed, "Go on."

"His name is Felix, he is a business major, and his goal in life is to be the best businessman ever to exist."

"No way. How would you get that out of such a boring outfit?"

"Don't believe me," Hilda winked, "Ask him."

Always willing to call someone out on their bullshit, Claude stood up, dusted himself off, and strolled over to 'Felix.'

"Hey, Felix!"

The man turned around, revealing an annoyed face and sharp eyes, "What do you want?" Except he said it less as a question and more like a warning to get out of his face.

Instead of being turned off, Claude smile grew, "So me and my friend were talking-"

"Great," Felix cut Claude off, "so what does that have to do with me?"

"Let's start again. I'm Claude," he stuck out his hand.

"Felix, but you already knew that. Is there something you need? Cause if not, I've got a class to go to," Felix responded cooly.

"You know what, nevermind," Claude started backing away, "I wish I could say it was a pleasure."

"Tck, whatever."

Claude walked back to Hilda, whose face was now red with laughter, "I fucking told you so."

"How did you meet a man that charming?" Claude grimaced, not quite know what exactly just happened.

"Oh, he's in my 'Intro to Statistics' class, and we had an icebreaker today. Let's say he 'brought down the mood,'" Hilda frowned and then giggled. "You should've seen your face when he turned around. Maybe next time you'll believe me."

Claude shook his head, "The day I take you at your word is the day I've lost my mind. Listen, I've gotta get to class, but wanna get dinner tonight?"

"Oh? You don't have a date tonight? Has your social life taken a downturn?"

"Oh, Hilda, I'm not Sylvain. I do pick and choose who I spend my nights with," Claude leaned down and offered a hand to help her up, "You just so happen to be my only option."

Swatting his hand away, Hilda stood up and then punched him in the arm.

"Ow!"

"That was a warning. See you around, Claudy."

With that, Claude was left along with his thoughts. He walked back into his dorm, the stench of sweat, and weed, hitting his face as he walked to his room. His roommate Lorenz thankfully wasn't in. A giant map of the world hung on his side of the room, it was gilded on the edges and had an old aged look. It was a stark contrast to the flashy purple cloths that covered the other side of the room and don't get him started on the roses.

He searched through the stacks of books, trying to find the one needed for class. 

"Note to self, stop buying books," he said, shaking his head and pulling out his English book.

With that, he was off to class.

Meanwhile

Felix's annoyance crept into his face as he walked away from the unwanted interaction with Claude. Who walks up to someone after admitting that they were talking about you with their friend? Not to mention, he had never met Claude before, so how the hell did he know his name? Unless he knew about his father.

He was the son of Rodrigue Fraldarius, the CEO of the Blue Lion Coffee Company, and if he wanted to take over the business one day, he had to outperform his brother Glenn. 

He was striding past his fellows, avoiding as many of them as possible, when a cute redhead cut their way through the crowd stopped him, "Felix!"

"Yes, Annette."

"Where are you headed?"

"I'm going to class."

"Class? What class?"

"I have English at 1:30."

Annette looked at the smartwatch on her wrist, "But you don't have class for another hour, why don't we chat for a bit? I miss you, and I haven't seen you since graduation!.

"You know that I have to focus on my classes-"

"To take over the company one day, I know!" She sighed, "But that doesn't mean you can't have any friends. I-We miss you." A blush spread across her cheeks. 

Felix softened his face putting a hand awkwardly on her shoulder, "Annette, it's nothing personal."

Balling her fists, Annette pouted, "Give me your planner."

"No."

"Give it to me right now, or I swear to god I will make a scene!" Her voice started to rise.

"Fine!" He dug into his planner and shoved it into her hands, "Just so you know, I don't appreciate the threat."

She hummed, writing down scribbles into his planner, "Okay, next Friday, you are coming to Dorothea's place, and we are going to have a game night. If you don't show up, I will consider you dead to me."

Annette skipped away, and Felix shook his head in disbelief. Looking down at his planner, he saw a heart with the words, "Game Night," in cursive. Felix watched her as she left, thinking about the awkward terms they were on. Everyone knows that whiskey and Felix is not good news, yet Annette wouldn't take no for an answer.

Checking his phone, he saw that class now started in 30 minutes, and he was going to be late for being early. He liked to sit in the middle, not too close to the front to be called, but not too far in the back to be deemed a slacker. 

"What a hassle."

When crossing the threshold into his classroom, he stopped to find Claude, that bastard, sitting where he liked to sit.

Damn Annette.

He took the seat one down and opened his book. He decided to ignore everyone else's existence and make it through the next hour. 

"Excuse me," A girl's voice broke his concentration, "Is anyone sitting here?"

"Does it look like anyone is sitting there?"

"Ah, I guess not," she forced a half-laugh, "I'll just sit here, I guess."

Felix grunted, refusing to look up at the intrusion. The last thing he needed was another person trying to talk to him while he was trying to train to become the most exceptional businessman ever to live. 

"Ah, don't mind him," Claude interrupted, "He's not the friendly type. My name's Claude. What's yours?"

"Linda."

Claude recognized her as the girl he labeled Savannah earlier.

When Felix looked up, he saw a girl with brown hair and brown eyes. Pretty sure, but nothing special. 

"Well, Linda, we should share numbers. This way, if one of us misses class, we have a back up for notes."

Felix saw through this ploy. Claude was clearly trying to get into this girl's pants.

"Uh sure, I guess. Not sure what kind of notes I would miss in English," Linda said hesitantly, setting her books on to the desk.

Felix chuckled, "If you want good notes, it's best just to take them yourself." He then glared over to Claude, "And you. Are you already planning on missing class?"

As Claude began to retort, the professor walked into the room and started class. He was a man with shoulder-length green hair and matching eyes. He wore a fitted blazer in a navy blue that was layered over a gold t-shirt and black jeans. Felix thought to himself, "Trying a little hard to fit in with the youth."

"This is English level 1000. If you are not meant to be in this class, please leave," the professor bellowed. A few embarrassed students left the classroom. "Okay, I am Seteth. I will be teaching you how to interpret books in a way you've never thought of before."

"I will not be going over the syllabus as you should have read it on your own time. Instead, I will be assigning groups in this class for discussion," Seteth paused and looked over the room, "No, you may not choose who your partners will be."

A groan came from in the back, "Why not?"

"If you work with friends your whole life, then you will never learn how to see things from a different perspective," Seteth answered.

Felix felt annoyed. He hated working in groups. Every group project he has ever been apart of has been with people who were stupid, lazy, or a hybrid of both.

"You three!" Seteth pointed between Claude, Linda, and Felix, "You will be group C. Exchange numbers and get to know each other." Just as Felix thought his problems couldn't get worse, he got partnered with the one person in class that he already knew he didn't like. The professor set down a worksheet that had big, bold letters at the top that said the worst words put together on Earth Ice Breaker.

Great.

As Linda looked to her right, she noticed Felix is glaring past her, so she smiled at him, "Yeah, I get it, groups kind of suck. Here's my number." She slid a piece of paper over to him. "Just text me your name."

Felix scoffed, "Okay."

Linda decided to leave him alone. She thought to herself, "A man of few words or just an asshole?" She turned toward Claude, "You text me too."

A vibration came from her back pocket, "Already done." 

"Awesome, I'll put a group chat together. It will be easier this way to talk to each other."

Linda cleared her throat and picked up a copy of the worksheet, "Oh, this doesn't look too bad. It's only ten questions." Then she quickly felt a chill run through her body when she saw the murderous look on her new brooding teammate's face.

Seteth returned to the front of the class and explained the paper, "You each will interview the person sitting to the left of you. If you are sitting in a line, and have no one to the left of you, interview the last person in your row. After filling out the worksheet, return the paper to me, and you are free to leave. Questions? Great, get started."

This order meant that Felix would interview Linda, Linda would interview Claude and Claude would interview Felix. Claude was interested to learn more about why Felix was such a douche.

"You two can go first," Claude rested back in his seat, taking out his phone to scroll, "I don't mind waiting to go last."

"Okay, number one, what's your major," Felix asked quickly as if the faster he spoke, the faster he could escape this situation. 

"Journalism."

"Number two, why did you choose that major?"

"I like learning about people and their lives. You know, giving a voice to those who don't have one," Linda smiled, and Felix rolled his eyes. What an admirable goal, but Felix doubted that it was reachable. The public only cares about people with power or money, but he wasn't going to be the one to tell her.

"Favorite food?"

"Sauerkraut."

"You have got to be kidding me," Claude interrupted, "Who likes sauerkraut?"

"It's only the best food on the planet, and one of the only foods I like that isn't doomed to hurt my health in some way shape or form," Linda defended herself, crossing her arms over her chest covering the words, 'Dog Life.'

"Yeah, but that's still weird."

"Can we please move on?" Felix wrote down her answer and continued, "What is your dream in life?"

"I want to retire with someone I love and own a farm where I take care of rescue dogs."

"I'm not touching that one," Claude laughed, obviously enjoying making fun of this new girl. 

"Oh, let me live. It's a dream; it's not supposed to be realistic."

"That isn't true," Felix interrupted, "My dream is to beat my brother and take over my father's company so I can become the most successful businessmen in the world."

Silence.

"That's… nice," Linda hesitantly said, "A little intense, but I guess we all have to have something to live for."

Felix scoffed, "I don't need your approval."

With that, the talking mood was killed, and they finished the rest of the assignment without a hitch. Everyone was packing up their bags and getting ready to leave when Claude's grin grew across his face, "How about we all get together? I don't know that many people around here."

"I don't know that many people either. Plus, I'm all about having study buddies." Linda agreed, plus Claude seemed nice enough to be friends.

"Count me out," Felix spit, starting to pack up his books. "I don't need any more distractions. We can talk during class, but I don't see the need to get close to each other."

"C'mon Felix," Claude pleaded, "It won't work if we aren't all together. It's group bonding."

"No."

"Not even for an hour."

"No."

"What if we brought donuts?"

"I don't like sweets."

"It's okay, Felix, you don't have to," Linda interrupted the stalemate, "Forcing you to come wouldn't be fun anyways. If you do want to show up, then do."

Felix's eyebrows shot up. Was she respecting his boundaries? This behavior was the opposite of how the other people in his life acted. He looked at her, with an unreadable face, and said, "Thanks."

Before Felix left the classroom, Claude yelled, "I'll put the details in group chat." Each one of them knew it was going to be an interesting semester.


	2. Chapter 2: A Promise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Linda runs to her job, Claude goes to class, and Felix gets an unpleasant surprise from Hilda.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a Claude centric chapter, but the next chapter will be back to normal. To make up for it later on there will be a Felix centered chapter. There's going to be a bit of set up before we get to the real interesting parts. I hope you all don't mind and please leave a comment on how you are liking the story so far. I love to hear your thoughts!

“If I am late again, Byleth may kill me,” Linda thought to herself while fast-walking down the hall. She would’ve run, but she wasn’t interested in having people stare at her. She flew out of the English building, one hand in her bag searching for her name tag and work pants while the other pushed all obstacles out of her way. She had started working at the restaurant at the edge of campus as a waitress last year, but this semester starting taking on more hours. Her parents weren’t exactly made of money and she was trying to avoid having student loans for the next 20 years. 

Linda checked her FitBit, “Okay I start work at 3 p.m. Right now it’s 2:37 p.m. If I walk fast, I can be there at 2:52. This will give me just enough time to put on my uniform and put up my hair.” She blew out a large breath she didn’t know she was holding in. 

Linda scolded herself while shrugging her old vet sweater off, revealing her white polo underneath, “If the uniform pants weren’t so hot and ugly maybe I’d be more willing to wear them in public.” She would hate to admit it, but she did try her best to look half decent at all times. Especially when in class. She thought back to her partners in English and what they thought of her outfit.

"Don't be ridiculous," she shook her head, "boys do not care about what you wear to class." A light blush dusted her cheeks thinking about how attractive her two partners were. She had always been a little awkward when it came to people, which is why she wanted to change majors in all honesty, but it was too late now. She couldn't afford to add another semester to her already growing loan debt.

The soft thud of the charm on her backpack slowed as she approached the familiar building. Blyeth’s Beans and Brew was a staple. It was a standalone brown brick building, that had vines crawling up the sides. Below its sign in the front was a window that gave passersby a glimpse at its dark wooden tables, warm atmosphere, and lively clientele. Everyone on campus went there at some point.

The door chimed and Byleth raised her head, “You’re late.”

“No way!” Linda looked at her watch, “It is 2:58. I don’t start until 3.”

“Yes,” Byleth came around the podium where guests wait to be seated, “But by the time you put on your pants and get your hair pulled back it will be passed 3.” She stood in front of Linda with a stern look in her eyes. “You said you could handle this shift.”

“And I can. Please let me get changed and I promise you it won't happen again,” Linda gave a small, apologetic smile toward her boss before she bolted to the restrooms in the back. Cursing, she tried her best to pull her unruly curls into a bun. 

Byleth was standing outside of the bathroom when Linda walked out. "You know that I am just giving you a hard time," she put a hand on Linda's shoulder, "You've been a great worker. Just don't start slacking now that the fall semester is starting up again."

Shrugging Byleth's hand off her shoulder, Linda reassured her, "You can count on me. I haven't let you down yet!"

Byleth rolled her eyes, "Fine, but it's 3:03 and now you're really late."

"Shit."

-

Meanwhile, across campus Claude was strolling to his next class thinking about his new group. 

Claude had a goal after all this. He wanted to be able to bring people together and bridge the gap between communities. How? By becoming a powerful influence on politics. Though he loathed politicians, he knew the only way to make the change he wanted to make is to get power. That is why he decided to major in Politics.

Claude would never admit it himself, but he did tend to view his classmates as potential pawns in helping him reach his goals. Felix could offer Claude the backing he would need to meet the right people. This would only work if he could stand being around Claude for more than 30 seconds. Claude had yet to find a person who didn't warm up to him eventually. Well, except maybe Lorenz, but that didn't count.

Sighing, Claude looked at his phone and noticed a text from Hilda.

** Hilda ** : What time for dinner tonight?? 

** Hilda ** : and where??

** Claude ** : 7 at the usual.

** Hilda ** : 7? That’s late… 

** Hilda ** : Let’s do 6:30!

** Claude ** : Why do you ask me if you are going to do what you want anyway?/

** Hilda ** : Don’t be like that. I’ll come to your dorm to pick you up later.

** Hilda ** : See you then Claudy ;)

Rolling his eyes, he walked into his next lecture class, “Intro to Entrepreneurship.” 

His eyes scanned the aisles looking for a free chair. He grimaced as he noticed a familiar purple head of hair next to the only open spot in the hall. His legs felt heavy as he walked toward Lorenz.

“Hey Roomie,” Claude said as he slid into his seat.

With a look of distaste, Lorenze scoffed, “Claude. You know that I prefer it if you call me Lorenz. So please do so,” He looked around, a hand gesturing across the room, “especially if we are in public.”

Claude groaned. Why him? “You know it could do you some good to chill the whole ‘I am rich therefore cannot be seen with you in public’ thing. There’s a whole world of people out there.”

“I do not act the way I do because of your economic status,” Lorenz gasped, offended, “I simply do not like you. I do not feel you are genuine in your interactions with others. If you do not like sitting next to me, please move.”

“Trust me. I would if I could.”

With that, the two men mutually decided to turn around and ignore each other’s existence. 

The class seemed to crawl by. Claude paid special attention to this class versus others as he saw how this could help him in the future. Most classes the University had as general course studies were uninteresting to him. They didn't help him be a better politician so he did not see the need to invest himself into them. This class though would teach him how to use his resources effectively to cause a greater change in the world. He noticed that Lorenz was also especially attentive. This surprised him as he always took his roommate as someone to use his money to get ahead. 

"If you keep looking at me you'll miss the lecture notes," Lorenz commented, glancing at Claude's notebook. "You have kept up better than I thought."

Claude chose to ignore his roommate, and refocused for the rest of the class, but took note to try and not to be so open when he was evaluating others. It was 5:00 p.m. by the time he raced back to the dorm. He plopped onto his bed and closed his eyes with the silent hope that dinner would be able to clear his mind.

-

On the other side of campus, Felix was walking back to his car. After a long day of classes, all he wanted to do was go home. He was not a fan of pretending to care about the small talk his classmates liked to engage in. He was also still annoyed about the thought he had to work in a group for English. How much collaboration could be needed to read a book? He hated being forced to work with others.

His father always commented on how 'independent' he was and that at the top people had to learn to 'play' well with others. The memory made Felix clench his fists. The truth was the only way to being the top executive and beating his brother to running the company was to focus on himself. Once he honed in on his skills, his father would surely see that charm would fade, but a sharp mind would keep the company going for generations. 

As he walked he got closer to his destination, he noticed a figure with pink hair standing next to his driver’s side door. They were bent over as if they were writing something on his hood. Huffing, he began to walk faster. It was probably another reporter leaving his information to pass along to his father.

“You there. Why are you on top of my car?” He demanded.

Hilda turned around sheepishly, knowing she was caught.

“Oh hey Felix, how are you today?” She was sure to keep her body in front of the damage that she had caused.

His eyebrows raised, “Fine. Why are you by my car?”

“Well, you see...” Hilda started and shifted her weight onto her right foot, revealing the new dent that graced Felix’s driver's door.

“You dented my car.” 

Hilda’s hand shot up in defense, “I didn’t mean to! I swear. I was coming back from class-”

Felix’s emotions went from annoyance to anger, “I do not care how you dented it.” Just great. This was a new car and already someone had hit it. At least this time he got here soon enough to see who caused the damage. He pinched the bridge of his nose. “How do you plan on paying for it?”

“Well, maybe we could go on a date and call it even?” Hilda gave her best smile. 

“No. Any other options?”

Hilda sighed, knowing she wasn’t going to get her way out of this situation. “Look. Have your car looked at and tell how much it is. I can’t have you call my insurance. My dad will kill me if our rates go up again.”

She swung her book bag around, unzipping the front pocket and pulling out her phone. “Tell me your number.”

Felix scoffed, “Tck. You’re telling me that you would rather pay for this damage out of pocket then just telling your dad that you hit a car. Unbelievable.”

Hilda puffed her cheeks out, “Don’t you go judging me! I was going to leave you my number either way. If your car gets fixed that's all that matters.” She shoved her phone into his chest, “Now put in your number unless you would rather pay for it yourself asshole.”

Sneering, Felix did what she demanded, “Don’t go selling that information to the press. I will hunt down who your dad is and tell him myself if you do.”

“Yeah, whatever.”

Hilda turned around and headed toward the dorms, seething with anger. Felix could hear her stomps as he got into his car. “This is why I should’ve done online classes.” He watched her back get smaller until he felt calm enough to drive back to his apartment.

-

Back at Byleth’s, the crowd was starting to pick up and Linda was hitting her stride. She didn’t necessarily like talking to people, in fact, it made her quite anxious, but knowing she had to or she wouldn’t make good tips was a great motivator. She smiled as she approached the next customer, “Hello! Welcome to Blyeth’s Beans and Brew. What can I start you off to drink tonight?”

After scribbling down the order, she went to the drink machine where her co-worker Dorothea stood. 

“Lindie! How’s the night for you?”

Linda cringed at the nic name, but indulged her friend, “Well it’s just starting, but I think it’s okay. No assholes so far.” She stuck her glass underneath the sticky drink machine, careful to not get any liquid on her hand. She looked over, “Is your night going good Dorthy?”

Dorothea’s smile brightened, “Oh please, I can play these customers like a fiddle.” She giggled and began placing her drinks on the black tray beside her, “Already got a $20 tip on a $25 bill.”

Linda’s draw dropped, “You have to teach me your ways.”

“Lindie, it’s easy,” Dorothea paused as she picked up her order, “Listen, see me after your shift. I’ll give you advice on anything I see that you can improve on.”

“Thank you so much!”

“Listen, us waitresses have to stick together.”

Linda got the rest of her drinks together and returned to her table, “Here you go! One water and a Pepsi. Are you guys ready to order?” 

Suddenly, a yelling came from the front of the crowd of people, “What?! How is it my fault.”

Apologizing to the restaurant-goers, Linda rushed to the front of the restaurant to find Claude turned toward someone behind him in the doorway. Heat rushed to her face as she cleared her throat to ask him to please step into the restaurant when another higher-pitched voice yelled back at him. 

“The only reason I was on campus was because I had to pick you up! So, it is your fault that I hit his car and you need to help me pay him back.” 

Claude laughed dryly, “Hilda. Please take some responsibility for yourself. I didn’t make you swerve to miss a squirrel. That dent is your problem.” He turned around and continued into the building, “Tell your dad. Or if you can’t tell your dad, go to your brother. He’s always covering for you anyways.”

A loud gasp penetrated the now quiet dining room, “Claude.”

“Table for two?” 

The pair of friends turned around seeing a fed up Byleth, hands on her hips, and a commanding glare at hand. Her mint hair had fallen into her eyes, making her look particularly menacing. Clearing his throat, Claude tried to regain any good grace he could get, “Y-yes, thank you.”

Byleth turned to Linda, “Please seat these two in your section.” 

With a curt nod, she turned to the pair, “Please follow me.” She barely even knew Claude, so why did she care whether or not he saw her in her godforsaken lumpy pants. She turned around, putting on her best face, and pointed her arm to the booth, “Take a seat. I’ll be right with you.” With that, she hurried away.

Sliding into the booth, Claude looked at Linda’s retreating figure, “That’s one of my English partners. I didn't know that she had a job.” He assumed that most people on campus didn't have to work. Maybe he a little too quick to judge her.

Hilda glanced over at Linda, “Ooo she’s a cutie.” Then she looked back to Claude, “But for real. You’ve got to help me pay for this repair. Felix will literally murder me if I can’t come up with the money and Dad already said that if I got into another accident he would take away my car.” 

“I don’t see how any of this is my problem.”

“If I lose my car, who will take you to all those fancy outlets you like to go to?”

With a groan, Claude ran a hand through his hair, accepting his defeat, “How much is it?”

“Not sure, but his car looks like it’s worth more than my closet,” Hilda laughed, “Which is saying a lot.”

“I don’t even have a job!”

“Have you guys taken a chance to look over the menu?” Linda asked, interrupting their conversation.

“I’ll have a Leicester Cortania to drink and the steak dinner,” Claude answered. He took a moment to study Linda, noticing her fidgeting fingers and flushed face. Was she nervous? Why? She was already walking away before he had a chance to think about it further.

“Earth to Claude,” Hilda joked, “Can you take a few seconds not to check out our waitress so we can get back on topic?”

“First, I wasn't checking her out. Second, I repeat I do not have a job.”

“Then get one! I work at Seiro’s Sweets. I can get you a job there.”

The thought of having to work with his best friend sent a shiver down Claude’s spin. He shook his head, “Hilda, I love you, but no. We would kill each other if we spent that much time together.”

Linda came back with both meals setting down the drinks and plates, “Is there anything you need?”

“A dessert menu please!” Hilda chimed. 

“How do you know you already want dessert?” Claude questioned, taking a sip of his tea. 

“Because you’re paying for the meal,” Hilda smiled, “I will never miss out on free cake.”

“One dessert menu coming up,” Linda felt awkward. Was this a date? She hated being the third party to someone else’s flirting. “Anything else?”

“No, but thank you.” Claude wondered why Linda was acting as they had never met. Did she not like him just like Felix? He turned back toward Hilda, “I’m not paying for your meal.”

“Whatever.” 

With that, the rest of dinner went normally, with Claude and Hilda talking about something besides the money debt now looming over them. Hilda’s expression turned suddenly. “What is it?” Claude asked.

“Why don’t you ask your English partner to get you a job here?”

Claude choked on his tea, “I barely even know her. Besides, it’s obvious she doesn’t like me. She hasn’t acknowledged that we knew each other once.”

“Claudie, you're a cutie. I’m sure you can charm your way into getting a job here,” Hilda leaned across the table, “Besides, she’s been staring over here trying to figure out if this is a date with her coworker for the last 10 minutes.”

Claude looked over and Linda was talking to another waitress. Both quickly looked away when he turned his head. “That’s just human curiosity. It does not mean that she will let me get a job here.”

Hilda shrugged her shoulders, “Well she’s coming over here now. Either you ask her or I will.”

Claude gave a quick glare toward Hilda as Linda returned to the table. “Here is the dessert menu that you requested. Is there anything else you guys would like or would you like me to leave you a few moments to go over the menu?”

Claude looked over, a grin spreading across his face, “No I think we are okay, but can I ask you a question?”

Raising her eyebrows, Linda responded, “Yeah. Is there something on the dessert menu you needed explained?”

“No, no, no. That’s not what I meant. Can you get me a job here?”

Linda looked taken aback, “I don’t even really know you.”

“What do you mean? We spent a whole class period interviewing each other. What else could you need to know?” Claude looked up into Linda’s unchanging expression, “Please Lin? Can I call you Lin?”

“I’d prefer if you didn’t.”

Claude’s heart sank for a moment, but he wouldn’t let a cold response hold him back, “Linda. I know you don’t know me, but I wouldn’t be asking you this if I didn’t really need a job.”

Linda took a second to think. She didn’t want to say no and be mean, but what if she put her word onto this man and he turned out to be a complete imbecile. Byleth would never let her live that down. She sighed, “You promise you won’t let this blow up in my face right?”

A sudden burst of hope surged through Claude, “I promise.”

Linda knew she would regret this, but she couldn’t say no to a person in need, “Fine. I’ll talk to Byleth after my shift and let you know what she says.” She quickly added, “This is not a guarantee I can do anything, especially after that terrible impression that you made earlier.”

“Thank you so much,” Claude’s grin took Linda’s breath away for a moment, “I won’t let you down.”

“I’ll text you and let you know what she says,” Linda walked away, leaving Claude smiling and Hilda pondering which cake to choose. 

Claude was relieved that Linda had a kind enough heart to give him a chance. He would’ve never trusted someone so easily. People with soft hearts are taken advantage of too easily. “Well, it looks like I may be employed soon.”

Hilda smiled in response, “And that means you can afford to pay for my cake.”

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first time writing a multi-chapter story, but I was inspired by my love for both cold to warm romances and the flirty, "but you've changed me," relationships. I may be slow updating, but let me know how you like the story so far. I hope you all enjoy.


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